In many societies, long fingernails are considered to be cosmetically desirable. However, in order to achieve this cosmetically desirably look, one has to resort to either growing a long set of nails or, alternatively, using artificial fingernails, typically made of plastic materials. With either of these alternatives, while such long fingernails may be cosmetically attractive, they nevertheless pose a number of disadvantages to the wearer. Many people who wear false nails find them to be most uncomfortable because they sense the artificiality of the false nail which creates an insecurity in the wearing of them. The wearers also find false nails to be unnatural extensions of their regular nails consequently the false nails interfere in daily activities.
Significantly, long fingernails can be a physical handicap in a number of daily activities, such as typing, installing contact lenses, telephone dialing, playing sports, putting on sheer stockings, conventional housework, and the like. In addition, such long nails also present the problem of being prone to chipping, cracking, breaking, and other damage due to their length and their susceptibleness to being banged and bumped during a normal day's activities. When using an artificial long nail, such daily activities generally tend to, at the very least, loosen the artificial nail from the wearer's natural nail.
Still further, there are a variety of plastic false finger and toenails currently available. Those that are long in length will suffer from the above disadvantages. On the other hand, those that are somewhat shorter in length, for the "active wearer", while providing a more practical length, will of course, not provide the cosmetic look of the desirably longer length.
These artificial nails either come colorless and are meant to be covered with a nail polish or are provided with a color thereby eliminating the need for such post polishing. As with a natural nail, a design or applique may be applied to the colored artificial nail. Most significantly, such a design or applique and, clearly, a nail that is simply colored, merely provides a constant, non-changing image to the observer of the nail regardless of the observer's position with respect to the nail. No matter which way the nail is turned, the overall effect to the observer remains constant.
On the other hand, Walter, U.S. 2,864,384, patented Dec. 16, 1958, describes a false fingernail that is coordinated with the exact fabric of the wearer's costume. The patentee recommends using the same fabric coated or bonded to the false fingernail as the fabric in the wearer's clothing.